Everyone knows that the Foo Fighters‘ Dave Grohl is the nicest man in rock.

Interview after interview after interview, dude just hangs out, chills, is smart, seems like NICE personified. I don’t know how he does it. And because of this, I have a massively squidgy soft spot for the Foos. I last saw ’em in 2003 at the V Festival in England, but lately their music’s been getting…soft.

So I kinda cocked an ear when I heard that they were RETURNING TO THE (HARDER) ROCK. New single “Rope” sounded pretty good, actually. Typical hooky chorus, slightly edgier Foo!

Foo Fighters played a “surprise” (to no-one) gig at South By Southwest last night at Stubb’s in Austin, Texas for Media Temple‘s SXSWi Closing Party, and had all fanboys raving and tweetin’ with fatty, BBQ-sauce smeared fingers…

…so of course, roving, amazeballs photographer (and friend to the BackstageRider) Kris Krüg was there. Of course. ‘Cos he’s everywhere. Being awesome. Check out the pics below.\m/

Foo Fighters’ seventh album Wasting Light will be out on April 12.